Bodegas Luis Canas Reserva 2019

92 Points - Jeb Dunnick

95% Tempranillo 5% Graciano

Bodegas Luis Cañas has been at the heart of Rioja since 1928 and has played an enormous role in shaping the Alavesa’s – and Rioja’s – modern incarnation.

Comprising some of the region’s best and highest altitude vineyards, the soil in this area is thin and produces small bunches – perfect for making highly concentrated Rioja wines. The vineyards are divided into hundreds of individual plots, each planted with gnarly old bush vines on chalky-clay soils that shelter under the magnificent Sierra de Cantabria range. Rioja Alavesa has the largest number of ‘Viñedo Singulares’ in Rioja and Luis Cañas is an exemplary producer of single vineyard wines from the region. The estate’s director of viticulture, Rubén Jiménez, is celebrated for the important research he has conducted into identifying special sites in the Alavesa, as well as recovering an extraordinary number of ‘lost and ancient’ varieties from the family’s vineyards. He was named Grower of the Year by Tim Atkin MW in 2023 for the vital work he is doing to advance and safeguard the region. In 2016, Juan Luis, son of Luis Cañas, opened Bodegas Amaren in the neighbouring village of Samaniego and named his own son, Jon Cañas, as winemaker.

Viticulture

With 350 hectares of outstanding vineyards, split across 870 different plots, the viticultural department control every aspect. Each of the plots has its own personality and is categorised and used for different wines according to its characteristics. The vines used for the Reserva have an average age of 40 years.

Winemaking

Upon entering the bodega, bunches undergo a sorting process based on their weight. Following this double selection process, they are de-stemmed and crushed before undergoing fermentation and then maceration in stainless steel tanks for a total of 21 days, obtaining better colour extraction as well as much more complex and tannic wines, suitable for prolonged ageing. The wine is aged for 18 months in barrels of new French and American oak, then clarified and bottled without filtration.

Tasting Note

Deep cherry red, clean and bright. Good aromatic intensity with notes of ripe red fruits over a base of elegant balsamic. In the mouth is tasty, mellow, fresh and with fine nuances of sweet fruit. It has volume and the tannins are well integrated and polished. In the aftertaste, touches of very ripe fruit and nuances of liquorice appear making it last in the palate.

Food Matching

This wine pairs well with chicken and turkey, stews, vegetable dishes, rice, tapas and semi-cured cheeses.